Diving Off The High Dive

Do you remember the first time you jumped off the high dive?

You watched the other kids do it, and it looked like so much fun as they squealed. Every now and then, there was one kid that just couldn't do it.

They would stand there for what seemed like forever, contemplating and attempting to gather enough nerve to finally jump. More likely than not, it ended in this child moving past people and awkwardly making their way back down the stairs.

Looking down from a diving board can be scary. But first, there's so much excitement and confidence as you ascend the never-ending staircase.

One small step at a time, the anticipation builds.

You don't realize how high up you really are until your toes are gripping the edge of the board. As you're staring at the tops of the trees, the pool seems so far away.

This seemingly simple measure of fun and excitement now feels fearful, with your heart in your throat. In reality, it only takes one small step to hurl yourself into the deep end. And yet, you're frozen- too frightened to move forward and equally afraid to admit defeat. What do you do?

There are a lot of feelings and thoughts that swirl with each decision you could make. Regardless, you get to make the decision about what you want to do.

And this is the space where most of us find ourselves stuck, sometimes lacking in self-confidence, and simply too afraid to make any decision.

We're out on the edge of the board. We know with all our hearts we want to make a change, and we even have a cheering section behind us supporting our next forward step.

Okay, so those kids are probably yelling for us to jump or get out of the way. But I'm going to look at it as a positive. And yet, despite watching all of the kids before us successfully take a chance, we still wonder, 'What if.'

What if I miss the pool? What if I do a belly flop? What if I embarrass myself, and everyone laughs? What if I get hurt? As time passes, there is an endless number of 'what ifs, ' each one swirling in our heads, becoming more creative than the next.

Have you ever noticed that the 'what ifs' are rarely positive in nature? We're not suddenly catapulted into a thought circus of what if everything goes terrific, or what if I have the BEST TIME EVER.

Nope.

Our inner belief system and our inner critic are working hand in hand to keep us safe from ourselves.

The brain doesn't care if it's a tiger, an ill-intentioned know-it-all, or a made-up scenario. If there's a perception of fear, the ball starts rolling, and all methods kick in to keep us safe.

It's like one of those ball-rolling mazes where one tripped response leads to the next. You may begin to feel sick to your stomach, have a dry mouth, and your heart may start to beat rapidly. These responses are your body's ways of preparing you to fight or flee.

So you're standing at the end of the diving board.

You want to move forward, but you're frozen with fear of the unknown.

The longer you stand there, the more afraid you become.

The more excuses arise for why it can't be done.

And it's becoming easier to talk yourself out of taking that step.

The acting of leaping into the pool has become a full-fledged tiger.

We've all had these moments.

Whether truly at the end of a diving board or at other times in our lives. There are times when we want to move forward, take a chance, say the thing, do the thing, whatever, and we feel held back. Stopped by our fear.

Yet, the seemingly simple act of taking a step can make a world of difference.

Taking action is the way of forward motion.

Recognizing it may be uncomfortable at first, understanding it might not be pretty, and making sure there's water in the pool before you take that leap.

And what if you don't take a step? What if you stay exactly where you are? What if you turn around and run away?

That's OK.

Perhaps it's not time. I agree with Anais Nin, "And the day came when the risk to remain tight in a bud was more painful than it took to blossom."

You're at the end of the diving board. You feel the butterflies in your stomach, your shoulders drawing up to your ears, and your heart racing. You've replayed the scenario in your head over and over again while watching the others take their leaps.

Before one more thought enters your mind, you're off the board.

Free falling.

Then, woosh, the water envelopes you.

There's a little water up your nose, but you're safe.

You did it!

And it was SO MUCH FUN!

There was a thrill in doing the thing that scared you and coming out okay on the other side. Back in line again, you realize excitement has replaced fear.

It's so much easier this time.

You walk onto the board, take your place, take a deep breath, and, with little hesitation...take another step forward.